Witch or Wench
by CrypticGirl
Summary: On the planet Brokaya, Jenny is shot down and loses her memory. The general, Garlic Jr., takes her in as a housekeeper. Can the Rebels save her? Concluded 04.16.07.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Garlic Jr. and his minions do not belong to me. All other characters are from other shows and also do not belong to me. A few OC's, like Jenny and Hallie, are mine.

Witch or Wench

The journey has officially begun. Having just been freed from the cryogenic tubes, they set out to face the horror and hopefully destroy the evil. But they knew that there was no way they could defeat all of Black Shadow's billions of generals. They wouldn't even come close before perishing of old age.

Jenny sat in the bridge pondering this very thing. While Fulgore monitored the main computer terminal, Yamcha and Pico stood nearby doing nothing at all.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Yamcha asked.

"Right now, I'm just looking for signs of life," Fulgore said.

"You know, I don't see why we're doing this," Yamcha said. "I mean, there's no way we can beat all of Black Shadow's generals. We'll die of old age, if we're lucky enough not to be killed by those goons."

"That's where successors come in," Pico threw in. "When your sun sets, the sun rises for another to follow your footsteps."

"Well, that's all fine and good. But where do we find successors?"

"Make one."

"Excuse me?"

"Blossom into maturity and bear a son, then raise him to follow your footsteps."

Yamcha looked puzzled. "You expect me to have a baby?"

"That's right," Pico said. "You are capable of giving birth, aren't you?"

"Oh no, not me! That's what the women are for! The women are the ones who have the babies for humanity!"

"Oh!" Pico looked slightly surprised. "Well, good for them."

Without warning, a cloud of smoke appeared in the center of the bridge, and then vanished, revealing Canis Lupus in its place.

"Hello, people," he said. "I see you've gotten started on your quest."

Jenny looked at him. "Yeah, we're just starting…I don't know how far we'll get."

"Well, I have something for you all that should be of help. Here, take this."

When Canis spread his arms out, the Rebels held their arms out in front of them, their palms facing the ceiling. A blue hardcover book appeared in each of the Rebels' hands.

Jenny opened the book and flipped through the pages. "What is this?"

"This is the Universal Code book," Canis replied. "Read it, follow it, and rely on it. It'll help you remember what really counts with its words of wisdom. Remind each other of its statements, and apply it to your new lives."

"New lives?" Jenny asked. "That's not what I'd call it."

Suddenly, the main computer terminal beeped. Fulgore perked up and pressed several buttons. "I think I've found something. There are signs of life on that planet down there. But I'm guessing it's probably just the general and his minions."

Jenny stood up. "Well, I'm going to investigate. Who's coming with me?"

The others stared at her blankly.

"Fine. I'll call if I need you guys." Jenny pressed on her ring and teleported away.

She reappeared on a rocky planet. The planet had a close resemblance to Earth, with the white boulders, brown dirt, dead grass, and blue sky. Noticing a wooden signpost standing alone, Jenny dashed over to take a look.

PLANET: Brokaya  
GENERAL: Garlic Jr., Descendant of Garlic Jr.

"Hmm, I thought he was dead," a voice remarked.

"Huh?" Jenny spun around to see a certain wolf wizard standing behind her.

"Wait, I get it now," Canis said. "This is the descendant of the Garlic Jr. that Black Shadow killed."

"So what are you up to?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, I'm here to rectify the mistake I made 3000 years ago," Canis said. "When I went to retrieve the Lightstar Crystal for you, I exhausted all of my power and was forced to go into hibernation. Had I not done that, I would've had the power to stop Black Shadow."

"I see..."

"Yes, I blame myself for everything that's happened. So I'm watching over you and giving you a little info on the generals. Not to mention the Universal Code that I just gave you."

"So what should we know about this guy?" Jenny asked.

"First of all, don't let his appearance fool you," Canis replied. "He may be a midget, but he's very powerful. Use caution when fighting him."

"Okay."

"See that tower over there?" Canis pointed to his right, where a tall thin pillar stood, supporting a huge hemispheric structure.

"Is that where Garlic Jr. lives?" Jenny asked.

"That's it," Canis said. "Now go get him!"

The wolf wizard disappeared in a puff of gray smoke. Jenny stared at the tower for a moment.

"Maybe I should check it out first," she thought. "If it proves to be dangerous, I'll call the others."

She took off into the sky and flew nonchalantly towards the tower. The courtyard was decorated with white tile floors and a garden of green bushes and red roses. The courtyard appeared to be empty. At first…

Without warning, two energy blasts shot up from the courtyard, striking Jenny before she could react. She lost control and fell towards the ground below...  
---------------------------  
Two oddly colored warriors leaped over some bushes and dashed across the courtyard. One of them was bluish in color with whit hair that stood up to the top of his head. He wore dark red armor with a yellow cape.

The other warrior was significantly larger than the first. His skin was a light green color, and he had long brown hair, and he wore dark blue armor.

"I got it, I got it!" he cried.

"No way, it was my shot that connected!" the first man said.

"It's not fair, Spice!" the larger one said. "You shot the last intruder! Now it's my turn!"

"Vinegar, you just don't get it," Spice told him. "My aim is simply better than yours."

Finally, they reached their downed prey. It was a brunette adolescent girl, wearing blue denim jeans and a ragged white T-shirt. She lay on the ground, clutching her head and waist.

"Wha…it's some sort of witch!" Vinegar cried.

"No, she's a wench," Spice corrected. "Witches are women who study black magic."

"But…I thought those were wenches."

"No, wenches are like peasant girls, like this one. Her clothes have to be at least 3000 years old. It must be all she can afford."

"Okay, so what are we supposed to do with her?"

"We'll take her in," Spice said. "Lord Garlic has been looking for a competent housekeeper."

"Great! Let's do it!"

Spice carefully approached the girl as she was still writhing in agony. "Are you all right, wench?"

The girl sat up. "What? Wench...?"

"Look, we'll help you," Spice said as he helped her up. "Come with us."

He started to walk, but Vinegar grabbed his shoulder and pulled him aside.

"What are you doing?" he whispered. "You just shot this girl down, and now you're being nice to her?"

"Just trust me; I know what I'm doing," Spice responded.

The wench stared at them, confused. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Spice told her. "My colleague is a little cautious."

"I see. So, who are you?"

"Oh, my name is Spice."

The wench looked at him oddly. "Spice?"

"I know, it's an odd name. Together we're the Spice Boys – me, Vinegar, and two others inside. We serve and protect Garlic Jr."

"Garlic Jr.?"

"Yeah. I'm sure he'll love to meet you."

When they reached the castle, they stepped inside the large double doors and into an empty throne room. Spice led the girl across the room and sat her down in the throne. Two more warriors gathered around her. One was short, red, and chubby, with purple armor and a yellow Mexican hat. The other was tall and gray-skinned, with brown hair and armor.

"Hey, it's a witch!" the short one exclaimed.

"Where'd she come from?" the other mutant asked.

"We found her outside," Spice said. "I shot her out of the sky. Wench, this is Salt and Mustard, the other Spice Boys I mentioned."

"Spice Boys?" the girl asked. "Spice, Vinegar, Salt, and Mustard. How weird."

"Wait a minute," Salt said. "What's your name?"

The girl looked puzzled as she pondered for a moment. Then, with a blank expression on her face, she shrugged her shoulders.

The Spice Boys glanced at each other. Spice led the other boys away and they huddled together.

"This is perfect," Spice said. "Lord Garlic has been seeking a competent housekeeper. Since this wench doesn't know who she is, she doesn't have anything else to do."

"Yeah, it's perfect," the boys agreed.

"I'll inform Lord Garlic immediately. The rest of you keep the wench company." Spice turned and left the throne room.

"Wench? I thought she was a witch," Salt said.

"Nah, Spice says that witches are women who study sorcery," Vinegar replied. "A wench is a poor peasant girl…but on the other hand, we saw this girl flying through the air. Maybe she is a witch."

"So is she a witch or a wench?" Salt asked.

"Maybe she's both," Mustard concluded.

In a room illuminated with blue candle flames, the midget general Garlic Jr. knelt down in front of a huge portrait of himself up on the wall. Or at least the figure in the portrait looked like him.

Garlic Jr. was light green in appearance, with dark spots on his bald head. He wore a black uniform with a white cape over it.

"Great ancestor, hear me," he said. "I've recently received word that the legendary misfits have escaped from their cryogenic slumber. Their only mission is to challenge the generals on their assigned planets. I can only hope that they arrive here soon. I've been looking for some action; it's been pretty boring around here."

"Excuse me, Lord Garlic," a voice said.

Garlic Jr. spun around. "Spice! You know that this room is off limits!"

"My apologies, Lord Garlic, but I have a report," Spice went on. "A young wench was found in the courtyard, and she's suffering from amnesia."

"An amnesiac wench, eh? Fine, I'll be out in a moment. Now get out of my private chamber!"

"Yes, sir!" Spice left the room and closed the door gently.

Garlic Jr. knelt in front of the portrait again. "Great ancestor, I must go now. I must check out this wench that the Spice Boys have brought in."

"Lord Garlic will be out shortly, miss," Spice said.

"Okay," the wench said. "Spice…no offense…but how can I be sure that you're not setting me up? I mean, I can't remember anything, not even my own name. How can I trust anyone?"

Spice nodded. "I understand."

"Another thing," the girl continued. "Sooner or later, everything will come back to me. When that happens, I won't be able to stay here."

"You won't have to worry," Spice told her. "We'll take good care of you."

"We will?" Salt asked.

Just then, Garlic Jr. entered the room. He walked straight up to the throne, where the wench was sitting. Both Garlic Jr. and the wench stared at each other for a long, tense moment. Neither face showed any expression.

"What is this…wench…doing in my throne?" Garlic Jr. asked.

Getting the message, the girl quickly slipped down to the floor. Garlic Jr. leaned forward, looking into her eyes.

"So…you remember nothing?" he asked.

"That's right…" the girl replied timidly. "I don't remember anything."

"I guess you'll just have to stay with us," Garlic Jr. said. "Of course, you'll be expected to perform certain duties on board."

"Okay…"

"What are we gonna name her?" Salt asked.

"A name…that sounds like a good idea," Garlic Jr. said. "How about…Pepper?"

The wench pondered for a moment, then sighed. "Pepper…it is a name that suits me."

Garlic Jr. smiled. "Now, Pepper, you will be our housekeeper. Your job is cooking, cleaning, laundry, and anything else I can think of. Now get me dinner!"

Pepper scrambled to her feet and dashed out of the room.

"Amazing; she found the kitchen on her first try," Spice observed.

Garlic Jr. smiled again. "This will work out quite nicely."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Wow, I didn't even realize that I hadn't uploaded chapters 2 and 3 of this story yet. I've been stuck on the fight scene for quite a while now.

Chapter 2

Back at the Rebel Rack, Fulgore and Yamcha were still awaiting Jenny's report while reading their Universal Code books. It had been over an hour, and they hadn't gotten anything.

"I'm a little worried, Fulgore," Yamcha said. "It's been several hours since Jenny left, and we haven't heard from her since."

"Jenny can take care of herself," Fulgore responded. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to check on her."

He opened his communications channel. "Jenny, this is Fulgore. Come in, please."

Nothing.

"Come on, girl; speak to me!" Fulgore pleaded.

Still no response.

"Where is she?" Yamcha asked.

"I don't know…but I'm going to keep trying," Fulgore said. "Jenny! Come in, Jenny!"

Pepper stood in the kitchen looking up at the cabinets. She opened one of the lower cabinets and pulled out a pot, then set it down on the stove. But when she opened up the top cabinets, she found condiments, and nothing more.

"Pepper!" Garlic Jr.'s voice called from the throne room.

"Pepper? Does he want pepper for dinner?" Pepper began pulling out the condiments in search of the pepper.

"Pepper!" Garlic Jr. called again.

"Hold on, I'm looking for it!" Pepper thought as she sped up her search. Then she pulled out two condiments.

Then Spice entered the room. "Pepper, Lord Garlic is summoning you, and he's getting impatient."

Pepper paused. "Oh, he was calling me!" She looked down at the red and black peppers she now had in her hands. "I thought he wanted this stuff."

"Well, you'd better tend to Lord Garlic," Spice said. "Hurry."

Pepper dropped the condiments and rushed into the throne room. "Yes, Lord Garlic?" she asked between heavy breaths.

"What's taking so long with my dinner?" Garlic Jr. demanded.

"I don't even know what to cook; there's nothing but spices in there!" Pepper protested.

"Take a pot of water, and put the spices in it!" Garlic Jr. told her. "Then boil the soup to perfection! Is that too much to ask?"

"No, not at all," Pepper said.

"Then get moving!"

"Right!" Pepper raced back into the kitchen.

Garlic Jr. smiled. "That's the kind of housekeeper I like. Always in a hurry to get the job done."

Once in the kitchen, Pepper filled the pot with water and sprinkled various condiments into it. She let the soup simmer for a while, stirring it occasionally. Steam began to rise from the soup, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. Pepper took a whiff of the soup, then took a little taste for herself. Satisfied with the readiness, she poured the soup into a bowl and carefully carried it out into the throne room.

"Here you are, Lord Garlic," she said. "I hope you enjoy it."

"We'll see." Garlic Jr. took a spoonful of the soup and tasted it. His face was blank at first, but then his eyes lit up.

"Pepper, we need to talk," he said. "This is the best soup I've ever tasted."

"Well…I'm glad you enjoy it," Pepper replied, surprised at his reaction.

Garlic Jr. slammed the bowl down on the floor, shattering it. "Now clean this mess up! I need to go back into my chamber!"

Pepper gave him a look of shock as he got up and left the throne room.

When Spinal walked into the Rebel Rack bridge, Fulgore and Yamcha were still standing in front of the main computer terminal. They stared at the video screen, neither moving nor speaking.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Spinal asked.

No one responded.

"Hello?" Spinal protested. "What's going on here?"

Fulgore turned to him slowly, forming a smile in his eyes. Spinal recognized the smile; it was the smile Fulgore gave him whenever he was ready to torture him. Spinal began to back off. He turned and started to run, but Fulgore reached out and grabbed his headband.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm getting the hell out of here!" Spinal replied. "I know that look in your eyes!"

"Spinal, listen," Fulgore said. "Jenny went down to that planet a few hours ago, and we haven't heard from her since. We need you to go down and see what's happened to her."

"Why me?"

"Come on, we're a team. Now that the universe is plagued with evil, we need to really work together."

"Then what will you do?"

"We'll wait for your desperate cries for help."

Spinal glared at Fulgore. "You're just looking for me to get into trouble, aren't you?"

Fulgore grinned. "Damn straight."

"Go on, Spinal," Yamcha said. "We'll cover you in case something happens down there."

Spinal sighed. "At least someone actually cares. Well, see you later."

"Ciao," Fulgore said.

Spinal pressed on his ring and teleported away.

Once again, Garlic Jr. knelt down in his forbidden chamber worshipping his father.

"Father, this is terrific," he said. "The wench, whom I've named Pepper, is an excellent housekeeper. She made the most delicious soup I've ever tasted. I only wish that you could taste it, Father..."

Suddenly, a thick fog appeared in the air in front of Garlic Jr., forming a rectangular shape, and Black Shadow's image appeared within it.

"Hello, Garlic Jr.," he said.

Garlic Jr. stood up, startled. "Black Shadow…you interrupted my consultation with my father."

Black Shadow frowned. "I'm sorry, but I need to speak with you. It concerns a certain young wench you found earlier."

"She makes the most delicious soup," Garlic Jr. said.

"That's not the point. I know who the wench really is. She is the leader of a misfit team called the Rebels. Her best strengths are seduction and cunning."

"She's suffering from amnesia. She's harmless."

"Only while she's amnesiac," Black Shadow said. "But sooner or later, she'll regain her memory. Then she'll take you out. And you mustn't forget about her friends either. They can't be very far. They'll surely come for her."

Meanwhile, Pepper stood outside the forbidden chamber peering through the door. Her eyes widened and her lower lip trembled as she heard the warning about her true identity.

"All right, Black Shadow," Garlic Jr. said. "I'll take proper precautions."

"Great. Just remember to watch your back." With that final warning, Black Shadow's image faded, and the fog disappeared into nothingness.

Pepper turned away from the door and placed a hand on her chest. She lowered her head, trying to fight back her tears. If only she could remember the truth…

She began to walk away, but crashed into something. As she stepped back, she looked up to see Vinegar leering over her.

"The supplies are all set," he said. "Let the therapy begin!"

He reached down, wrapping his arms around Pepper's waist, then stood up, draping her over his shoulder. Then he started walking away from the forbidden chamber.

"Hey!" Pepper exclaimed as she struggled in his grip. "Put me down! I can walk, you know!"

No sooner than Vinegar was out of sight, Garlic Jr. exited the forbidden chamber. Stopping in the doorway, he began to sniff the air. He then placed his hand on the edge of the door, rubbing it firmly. Then he sniffed his palm.

"She was here," he thought. "She must have overheard."

Spice entered the room and joined him. "Is something wrong, my Lord? You look disturbed."

"I just got a transmission from Black Shadow," Garlic Jr. said. "He says that Pepper is actually the leader of a misfit fighting force who have come to this planet to challenge me. When Pepper regains her memory, she'll surely call on her team to start attacking us. But then again, the others might not wait."

"So should we prevent Pepper from regaining her memory?"

"That's won't be necessary. I'll just give her a taste of black water."

"Black water?" Spice asked. "That's with the same ingredients as the black water mist, isn't it?"

Yes, except you drink it instead of breathe it," Garlic Jr. told him. "Come, Spice, let us go to the kitchen."  
---------------------  
"Vinegar…are you sure you know what you're doing?" Pepper asked.

She was asking this because Vinegar's idea of therapy involved tying her to a chair. Vinegar stood about twenty feet in front of her with a blackberry pie in his right hand. He had a table with more pies right next to him.

"Sure, I know what I'm doing, darlin'," Vinegar replied. "I'll throw this pie at you, which will prompt you to think about who you really are. If you still can't remember, I'll throw another one. Get it?"

"Somehow I don't think it's going to work," Pepper protested.

"We'll see." Vinegar threw the first pie at her, which splattered in her face. Pepper froze for a moment, then shook the tray off her face. She shook her head some more, trying to get as much of the filling off her face as possible.

"Now do you remember anything?" Vinegar asked.

Pepper shrugged as best she could.

"Pity." Vinegar picked up another pie and threw it at her.

"Leave her alone!!" a voice demanded.

Vinegar turned to see a little skeleton warrior standing in the doorway. He grinned.

"Well, it looks like we have ourselves a little intruder," he said.

He planted his feet and charged at Spinal, who held his hands at his right side, gathering energy. As Vinegar got closer, Spinal thrust his arms out, launching one of his large screaming skull blasts at him. The blast hit him dead on, sending him flying across the room. Pepper gasped as she watched him hit the floor behind her.

Spinal rushed over to her and began undoing the ropes that held her to the chair. "Don't worry, Jenny; I'm here. You may not remember me, but you have to trust me."

Once Pepper was freed, she stood up and used the bottom of her shirt to wipe off the excess blackberry filling from her face. Then she looked at Spinal in total confusion. Spinal returned the expression for a moment, then came to his senses.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" Spinal took Pepper's wrist and started to run to the exit.

However, Pepper resisted. "What are you doing, bonehead; get away!" she cried, wrenching herself free.

"Well, well, the little guy has some fight in him," Vinegar said.

Spinal turned and gasped. Vinegar stood exactly where he fell, grinning. Spinal screamed and rushed out of the castle and into the courtyard, while Vinegar pursued at great speed. Pepper paused for a moment, then followed to see what was happening.

When Vinegar got into the courtyard, the skeleton warrior was nowhere to be found.

"What the-" Vinegar began. "Where'd the little squirt go?"

Pepper slowly stepped outside. "Vinegar?"

Vinegar snapped his head backwards. "Be careful, Pepper! That little devil has to be around here somewhere."

"What's going on?" Pepper asked.

"It looked like he was after you for some reason," Vinegar told her. "Come on, let's get back inside."

He led Pepper back into the castle and closed the door.

Spinal hadn't disappeared from the courtyard; he was merely hiding right above the entrance. He hopped down when it was safe.

"Jenny doesn't remember me at all," he thought. "The only way we'll get her out of there is to show her the truth. She has no idea how much danger she's in."

Spinal opened his communication ring. "Fulgore, come in!"

"Hey Spinal," Fulgore responded. "Any good news?"

"Well, I have news, but it ain't good," Spinal said.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Jenny lost her memory. These goons took her in and made her a slave with a new identity."

"Uh-oh, that ain't good."

"I tried to get her out, but she refused to come with me," Spinal added. "What should I do?"

"Well, try to be a little less forceful," Fulgore suggested. "See if you can arrange a heart-to-heart with her. Hopefully, she'll be willing to remember her true identity that way."

"Okay, I'll try it." Spinal closed his ring and proceeded to enter the castle again.

"Ha, I knew you'd be back, you little pipsqueak!" Vinegar yelled.

Spinal gasped as he saw the Spice Boys in the throne room, apparently waiting for him.

"What!? An ambush!?" he cried.

The Spice Boys surrounded him and aimed their palms towards him. Suddenly, Spinal felt an invisible force closing in, squeezing him hard. The force only became tighter as he tried to push it out.

"There's no use struggling, bone boy," Spice said. "The more you struggle, the tighter the hold becomes."

Spinal found this to be true when he struggled again, and the force tightened even more. Finally, he gave in to the hold, and he fell to his knees.

"Jenny…" he cried out. "No, wait…Pepper…please…"

Pepper watched in horror for a moment. "No, stop! Don't be so rough!" she cried.

Spice shot her a look, then returned to Spinal. "Who are you, and what do you want?" he asked.

"I just want to talk…with Pepper," Spinal said. "Just for a minute…I'll never come back. Please, let me talk to her…please…"

"I don't trust him!" Vinegar said. "Let's kill him now!"

He thrust his hand forward, tightening the constraining force even more. Spinal screamed in pain.

"Vinegar, no!" Pepper shouted. "It's okay; I'll talk to him."

Spice turned to her. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Pepper said. "Let's just give him what he wants and be done with it. Please, whatever you're doing, just stop it. Let him go."

The Spice Boys exchanged looks, apparently in thought.

"Very well then," Spice said. "Ease up, boys."

The mutants lowered their arms, releasing Spinal. With a groan, he slumped forward on the floor.

Vinegar grabbed Spinal and hauled him into the air.

"And remember, make it quick, or we'll kill you!"

As he threw Spinal to the ground, Pepper approached and punched Vinegar across the face.

"Damn it, I told you not to be so rough!" she shouted.

Spinal picked himself up, and he and Pepper walked out into the courtyard.

"Boys, we'd better keep an eye on her after this chat," Spice suggested.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Okay, this is my best chance," Spinal told himself. "I hope I don't blow it."

He and Pepper sat down on the steps in the courtyard.

"Okay…so what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Pepper asked.

"It's about your true identity," Spinal told her. "I want to help you remember who you really are."

"Really? You know who I am?"

"Yes! You're Jenny, the leader of our team, the Rebels."

"Okay. Then who are you?"

"I'm Spinal. I've been a Rebel for…longer than I can remember. But you're our leader, and that's why we need you to remember."

"What does this team do? And what am I supposed to do?"

"We've been fighting evil, namely the dark lord Black Shadow. But then he had us cryogenically frozen for 3000 years."

Pepper looked down at herself. "That would explain this obsolete clothing I'm wearing…"

"Yeah…" Spinal agreed. "Anyway, during those 3000 years, Black Shadow conquered the entire universe, assigning a general to every planet to rule on his behalf. Our mission is to defeat these generals."

"All of them? That's crazy!"

"Well…you're right. It is crazy, but we've got no other choice. Since we're Black Shadow's biggest adversaries, he'd be hunting us down anyway."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The main reason why we need you to remember your true identity is because you're not safe here. Garlic Jr. is one of Black Shadow's generals."

Pepper stood up. "What??"

"Yeah…he's just taking advantage of your amnesia and using you as his slave," Spinal continued. "That's why my friends and I are trying to save you."

Pepper sighed. "Look…even if everything you're saying is true, there's no way I can lead your team. I'm a totally different person now. So you guys will have to choose a new leader."

"But Jenny, we can't give up!" Spinal continued to plead. "I believe in you! I know you can remember who you really are!"

"But I can't!" Pepper nearly screamed. "I don't even know what happened to me! I don't know how I ended up here. Therefore, I have nowhere else to go. So if Garlic Jr. wants to make me his slave, then fine."

Spinal's bottom jaw fell off his face, dropping to the ground.

"Oh gross…" Pepper mumbled.

Spinal picked up his jaw and put it back in place. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. So you really don't remember anything? Do you remember the Universal Code book that Canis gave us?"

Pepper gave him a confused look. "Nah-uh."

"Well, I'll tell you something I read from it: A friend is one who knows who you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you become, and still gently invites you to grow."

Pepper gave much thought into these words of wisdom. "So…you know who I am?"

Spinal nodded.

"And you understand where I've been?"

"Of course I understand where you've been. In fact, I've been there myself."

"And…what have I become? And what was I before that?"

"Well…I heard you were a sad little girl in the past, but you turned out to be one of the greatest fighters of all time."

"Me, a fighter?" Pepper burst out laughing. When she calmed down, she returned to Spinal. "Listen…I can't do this. I can't see myself the way you're describing me. So for whatever it's worth…I'm sorry."

She got up and went back into the castle. Within seconds, Salt peered out through the door.

"Ha ha!" he sang, before slamming the door again.

Spinal let out an exasperated sigh. "That didn't go very well, did it?"

Pepper trudged across the throne room, until she saw Garlic Jr. standing in front of her.

"Is he gone yet?" he asked.

"Uh…yeah, I got rid of him," Pepper replied.

"Good. Now I have something for you, Pepper. Please follow me."

Taking her by the hand, he led her over to the throne, and then she sat down on the floor.

"I wanted to give you something as a token of my gratitude," Garlic Jr. said. "Here, take this."

Pepper took the cup of black water that Garlic Jr. handed to her. She took a small sip of it; it tasted disgustingly sweet. She could feel her stomach turning instantly. Nevertheless, she drank the rest of it in one gulp.

"Yuck!!" she yelled. "Thanks, Lord Garlic; that was really…sweet."

Garlic Jr. said nothing as he waited for the black water to take effect. After a moment, Pepper clutched her stomach and began moaning.

"Yes, it's going to happen at any moment!" Garlic Jr. thought.

Pepper continued to suffer from her stomach pains for another moment. Then carefully, she sat up as the pain ceased.

"What!?" Garlic Jr. seemed surprised.

Pepper looked up at him. "Huh?"

"Grrr. Spice, keep an eye on her. The rest of you, follow me."

Garlic Jr. turned and left the room, with Vinegar, Salt, and Mustard following. As instructed, Spice remained in the throne room with Pepper.

"What's going on?" Pepper asked. "Were you trying to poison me?"

"No, of course not," Spice told her.

"I feel sick…" Pepper groaned. "What was that stuff?"

"That was black water." But Spice didn't dare tell her what it was for.

Suddenly, Pepper gasped. Her eyes widened as she clutched her stomach and clamped her hand over her mouth. She jumped to her feet and rushed out into the courtyard.

"Hey, wait!" Spice followed her as she ran to the railing at the edge of the courtyard. Pepper threw up black vomit over the railing. Spice stopped before catching up to her, as he heard her retching noises.

After a moment, Pepper straightened herself. "Spice…I think there's more room down there. Why don't you come over her and puke with me?"

"Oh no, I couldn't…"

"Oh, come on!" Pepper took Spice's arm and led him over to the railing. Once again, she leaned over the railing, throwing up. Spice suddenly felt sick to his stomach as well, and he too vomited over the railing. Pepper spit up one more sludge over the railing, then turned and headed back into the castle. Spice wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before following.

When Pepper got back into the throne room, she sat down in front of the throne, then tipped to the side, having fainted dead away. Catching up to her, Spice knelt down beside her.

"Pepper? Wake up, wench!" he pleaded. "Hmm, the black water didn't work as it should. Lord Garlic isn't going to like this."

"Hey Spice, what's going on?" Vinegar asked, entering the room. "What's wrong with Pepper?"

"She just fainted," Spice told him. "I guess the black water was too strong for her. Perhaps the mist would have been better."

"So wake her up!"

"I already tried, but she won't wake up."

"Uh-oh, the boss is going to be angry. What are we going to do?"

"There's nothing we can do. Lord Garlic may not like this, but I'm sure he'll understand."

Garlic Jr. entered the room and approached them. "Pepper, I have another task for you."

"She's passed out, Lord Garlic," Spice told him. "The black water was a little too strong for her."

Garlic Jr. looked down at Pepper. "Perhaps I should have stuck with the black water mist. Spice, what happened after she drank the water?"

"She got sick to her stomach and threw up," Spice told him. "Then she came back in here and passed out."

"Hmm…well, there's nothing we can do until she comes around. Right now, we should go after the Rebel team. If this wench truly is their leader, they'll come for her again."

"Okay, let's go," Spice agreed.

----------------------------

On the Rebel Rack bridge, Fulgore and Yamcha were overhearing Garlic Jr.'s plan.

"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good," Yamcha said.

Fulgore switched off the video monitor. "Let's move."

They turned to leave the room, but the door slid open well before their approach. Spinal entered the room to report his results.

"Shh, don't say anything!" Fulgore said.

"We know what happened," Yamcha said. "We also know that Garlic Jr. is plotting to attack us. So we'd better strike first, and take him down by surprise."

The Rebels nodded in agreement and beamed down to the courtyard.

"Okay...how should we make the approach?" Yamcha asked.

"Should we even try to challenge Garlic Jr. without Jenny?" Arbin asked.

"We have to get her back," Fulgore said. "I'd like to wait for her memory to return before fighting Garlic Jr., but we already know that he's going to attack us. We may not have time to wait."

"So we have to make the first move." Yamcha took a deep breath, then exhaled. "All right, here goes."

He walked over to the large steel door and gave it a few hard knocks. The other Rebels kept their distance. Yamcha shot a quick glance back at them as the door opened.

Pepper's eyes widened. "Can I help you?"

Yamcha looked at her, also with wide eyes. When he couldn't think of anything to say, he grabbed Pepper by the shirt and yanked her outside.

"Hey!" Garlic Jr. and the Spice Boys stepped outside a moment later. "What do you think you're doing with my housekeeper!?"

"Uh..." Yamcha paused for a moment, then shook Pepper's shoulders. "Jenny, you've got to snap out of it! We need you!"

Then something odd happened. Pepper contained a laugh as she gently pushed Yamcha back. "Yamcha, calm down, will you?"

Yamcha paused, then stepped backwards. "Wait a minute...did you just call me Yamcha?"

The other Rebels blinked their eyes at her.

Pepper began laughing...it was a small laugh at first, but then it evolved into a blown out laugh. "You all suck! I always knew who I was!"

"What the...?" Salt gasped.

"What did you say!?" Garlic Jr. asked, infuriated.

Pepper walked right over to him, kneeling in front of him. "My name is Jenny. And I remember everything."

Spinal was both confused and angry. "So...so you just...you just..."

"Did she get her memory back?" Salt asked.

"No, you idiot!" Spice growled. "She never lost her memory! She was faking it the whole time!"

"That little bitch!"

Jenny stepped back. "Of course, I wish I could forget everything...forget why I'm here, forget why I'm alive. I'll admit, Lord Garlic, being your housekeeper would be better than the life I'm living now."

"What are you talking about?" Garlic Jr. asked.

Jenny shook her head. "Never mind. You wouldn't care anyway."

"If you'd rather live as our housekeeper, then come on in!" Vinegar called.

"No thanks. I'd rather forget my current life first."

Jenny looked back at her friends, who nodded in return.

"Help me forget, Garlic!" she said, assuming her basic fighting stance. "Help me forget!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jenny sprung off her right foot, charging at the Spice Boys. Garlic Jr. evaded her attack, but Spice moved in front of her. Jenny threw a flurry of punches at him, but Spice was quick enough to avoid the attacks. He flew up into the air, and Jenny followed.

"That was a dirty trick you pulled on us!" Spice yelled.

"Hey, you guys were gullible enough to fall for it!" Jenny told him. "You guys are supposed to be evil; I didn't think you'd be so nice to a wench like me!"

"Watch me go!" Hallie rushed forward to Garlic Jr., who narrowly sidestepped her punch as well. Seconds later, Garlic Jr. felt the cut on his right cheek. He touched his face, and then saw the blood on his palm.

Hallie turned and went up to Garlic Jr. "What happened? Did I cut your face? Cool!"

"It's none of your damn business!" Garlic Jr. screamed.

Turning her attention to Garlic Jr. now, Jenny dashed at him again. Garlic Jr. threw three energy discs at her, and she dodged them in mid-air. Jenny then threw an energy blast of her own, and then followed in behind it. Before she could reach him, though, Garlic Jr. concentrated his energy. Suddenly, his muscle size increased tenfold, transforming him into a dark green, bulky monster. As Jenny closed in for the attack, Garlic Jr. quickly nailed her in the stomach with his powerful elbow. When she doubled over in pain, Garlic Jr. punched her squarely on the face, sending her flying down, crashing violently in the courtyard.

"Sis!" Hallie landed beside Jenny to check on her. Dende landed nearby and quickly healed Jenny with his powers.

"Whew, thanks, Dende," she said.

"No problem!" Dende said.

Jenny flipped to her feet, ready to face Garlic Jr. again.

"Why do you even challenge me?" he called. "You're the one who's so eager to die! I'd be more than happy to oblige!"

"Now don't get me wrong," Jenny replied. "I'm not so far gone that I would just let the opponent kill me. I'll fight to the best of my ability! I'll try my hardest to win!"

"Yeah, we're not gonna lose to you!" Hallie rushed into the battle again.

"Hallie, wait!" Jenny cried out.

---------------------

Meanwhile, the wolf wizard Canis Lupus was watching the battle, hovering in the sky from a long distance away.

"Hmm...I suppose they're off to a good start," he told himself. "But then again, they haven't seen anything yet. All of their dreams have been shattered; the battle is all they have left. Jenny claims to fight to the fullest, but as long as she truly wishes to die, she'll be holding back. That will truly be her downfall one day. The question is, how long will she continue to fight? She may be better off if someone put a gun to her head and got it over with. She has no idea of the suffering that awaits. None of them do.

"But on the other hand, if they die too soon, this universe will never be cleaned up. They need to survive at least long enough to find some successors. Yes, I know some people who could clean up Black Shadow's mess. It's not too late for the Rebels just yet. If they can just inspire the survivors in the universe, their legacy will continue even after their deaths."

Canis then smiled to himself. "You know, perhaps I should start keeping a log of their journey. I'm sure the Rebels will become legends one day. People would love to read about their adventures. Yeah, that's what I'll do..."

----------------

Back in the battle, Spice's white hair literally grew longer, ensnaring Yamcha by the limbs. Yamcha twisted into every possible position, trying to free himself, but he had no luck.

"Yuck! What a hairy situation..." he mused to himself.

Spice flashed an evil smile. "If I squeeze even harder, the hair will cut through your flesh, like so."

He squeezed even harder, causing Yamcha a great deal of pain.

"Argh! Do the words 'barber shop' mean anything to you!?" Yamcha groaned.

"No, actually they don't."

"Hang on, Yamcha!" Fulgore flew in, extending the blue claws that were built into his forearms. He lashed out with the claws, slicing through the hair and freeing Yamcha.

"Argh! You'll pay for that, you overgrown kitchen utensil!"

"Hey, I resent that!" Fulgore yelled. "Just be glad that it was just your hair and not your flesh. Anyway, if you're going to call me a kitchen utensil, I'll just show you a few of my...nicer features."

"Nicer features?"

"Yes. I can do this!" Fulgore teleported behind Spice, striking him with a powerful midair uppercut.

"Ahh! Damn you!" Spice growled.

"That was my teleporter," Fulgore said. "And this is called a plasma storm."

He thrust his palm forward, firing his blue energy blast. Spice simply swatted the attack away with his arm.

"That was pretty weak," he remarked.

"Well, what's even cooler is my eye laser." Fulgore fired a red laser from his eyes, piercing Spice's shoulder.

"Damn you!" Spice growled. "I'm gonna kill you!"

He gathered energy into his hands, firing a rather large energy blast at Fulgore. However, the cyborg simply shielded himself with a dome of blue energy. The blast bounced off the shield and struck Spice squarely in the chest, sending him flying backwards until he stopped himself.

Fulgore shrugged. "Did I tell you about my plasma shield? Now, combine all ingredients, and we've got a recipe for kicking ass!" Fulgore activated his cloak, an ability that camouflaged his body, and rushed in, striking Spice with a flurry of invisible attacks. He concluded by teleporting behind, throwing another uppercut to Spice's back.

Yamcha flew in next to Fulgore. "Fulgore, that is so awesome!"

"Thank you," Fulgore smiled.

"Arrrgh!" Spice roared. "Now I am mad!"

Yamcha propped his hands on his hips. "Oh, _now _you're mad?"

"Time to finish this then," Fulgore said.

He unleashed his eye lasers at Spice relentlessly, piercing his body at multiple points. When he finally let up, he threw another plasma storm shot from above. The blast hit Spice dead on, sending him falling through the air, crashing into the concrete with a sickening thud.

Fulgore landed next to the dead body. "So this kitchen utensil is very dangerous, and if handled improperly, it can lead to your untimely death. That's my victory quote for this battle."

Yamcha landed next to him. "You're still comparing yourself to a kitchen utensil?"

"Let's not get carried away, okay?"

"Sure."

-------------------

Meanwhile, Vegeta was facing off against Vinegar. The Saiyan prince rushed into the battle, throwing an incredibly fast flurry of punches and kicks. And yet, despite the speed, Vinegar was still able to repel the attacks. When Vegeta backed off, Pico flew in with a flurry of his own, but with the same results. Vegeta grabbed Pico by the shoulder and pulled him back.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Vegeta hissed. "Can't you see that I almost had him!?"

Pico scoffed. "Like hell you did! You didn't even scratch him!"

"Will you back off already!? You're in my way!" Vegeta gave Pico a rough shove.

"Ohh, you idiot!" Pico returned the shove.

As Jenny was still facing Garlic Jr., she happened to look up to see Pico and Vegeta bickering with each other. In response, she rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh.

"Hallie, would you please do something about those two?" she asked.

"Sure," Hallie replied.

She flew into the air, hovering in between Pico and Vegeta.

"Hey, knock it off, you two!" she called. "What the hell are you doing!?"

"He started it!" Vegeta yelled.

"Oh, stuff it, you big ape!" Pico growled. "Or I'll stuff you!"

"I said knock it off!" Hallie growled. "Vegeta, you're acting like a child!"

Vegeta snarled at her. "I don't need to hear that from a twelve-year-old brat!"

Pico folded his arms. "Well, if you two are just going to stand there and bitch, I'll just return to the battle, if you don't mind."

The alien turtle turned to face Vinegar again, but instead of charging in to attack, he pulled out his shotgun rifle and fired a blast. However, Vinegar simply raised his right arm, catching the bullet in his hand.

Pico lowered his weapon. "What!?"

Vinegar opened his hand and examined the bullet in his palm. "You're still using bullets? Bullets are obsolete in this day and age, you know that?"

Pico attempted to hide his surprise. "Well...I suppose it's to be expected..."

"But bullets might still work...what say we find out?"

Pico's eyes widened, sensing Vinegar's intention. He simply leaned to the side as Vinegar flicked the bullet at him with his fingers. The bullet shot right past Pico's head, missing it by mere centimeters.

"So you managed to dodge it, eh?" Vinegar asked. "Not many people can do that."

"I know everything about guns and bullets," Pico responded. "I sure as hell won't be killed by one."

Meanwhile, Jenny put her hands to her side, gathering energy within her palms. She then thrust both arms forward, hurling a large blue energy blast at Garlic Jr. The general held his ground briefly, then began to dive right through the energy blast like an F-16 jet.

"I can't die!!" he beamed. "I am immortal!"

"What...?" Jenny gasped briefly as she fed more energy into her blast. The effort didn't help much, as Garlic Jr. continued to pierce through the blast, delivering a powerful punch to Jenny's abdomen. Jenny flew back several feet before hitting the ground, and then rolling from the momentum. Garlic Jr. leaped into the air, attempting to stomp on her, but Jenny managed to spot him and roll out of the way. As she stood up, she threw a quick foot sweep, sending Garlic Jr. to the ground.

Jenny backed off as Garlic Jr. picked himself up. _So we can't kill him,_ she thought. _Well, there is another way to get rid of him..._

She reached into her pocket, pulling out a triangular shaped talisman, holding it in her palm and grasping the edges with her fingers. The talisman was blue with gold edges, with a gold dragon logo in the center.

"Hey guys, cover me!" she called out.

She began to concentrate on the talisman, which began to give off a white glow.

Fulgore and Yamcha watched her as she concentrated on the talisman.

"What is she doing?" Yamcha whispered.

"I don't know..." Fulgore replied. "Let's cover her."

"Hey, Mustard!" Salt pointed down at where Jenny was concentrating. "What is that wench doing?"

Mustard looked down from his place in the air. "Whatever it is, it can't be good. Let's stop her!"

They both dove down towards where Jenny was standing. Fulgore and Yamcha quickly moved in to intercept them, both delivering a fierce kick to each of them right above Jenny's head.

Vegeta looked down, sensing an incredible energy from below. "What is that useless woman doing!?"

"I'll go find out!" Hallie lowered herself to the ground, landing next to Jenny. "Sis?"

"Hallie, stay back!" Jenny called, her voice strained.

Hallie studied her carefully, and then recognized the talisman in Jenny's hand. "Hey, that's the Phoenix Gate!"

"Yes...Garlic Jr. is immortal...so we can't kill him. The only way to defeat him is to send him to another dimension. Like I said...cover me..."

"Right!" Hallie rushed into the battle again.

As Jenny continued to concentrate on the talisman, the wind began to blow gently around her. She could feel the ground rumbling at her feet, as her hair began to flow softly with the wind.

Garlic Jr. watched her briefly for a moment. "Whatever you're doing, it won't work. No matter what you do, I will not die! Don't you realize that you can't win!?"

With a roar, he rushed at her again. Jenny's heart skipped a beat as she felt him closing in on her fast, but she would not break her concentration. Luckily, before Garlic Jr. reached her, Fulgore teleported in front of her, activating his plasma shield. Garlic Jr. crashed into the plasma shield, forcefully knocking him backwards. At the same time, the plasma shield shattered upon impact.

"Argh!" Fulgore screamed as he staggered backwards, but stopped himself before bumping into Jenny.

"Fulgore!" Yamcha stopped beside him. "Are you all right? What happened?"

Fulgore straightened himself. "It's nothing. He just broke my plasma shield."

"What!? That's impossible!"

"No, it's possible. My shields may be powerful, but they're not invincible. It can still be broken with a concentrated attack. I'm just glad I was able to stop Garlic Jr.'s attack, because it would have done a lot of damage to Jenny if it hit her."

"Hey Jenny, what the hell are you doing?" Yamcha asked casually.

"I'm almost there!" Jenny responded, without really answering the question. "Brace yourselves!"

Fulgore and Yamcha raced off to battle Garlic Jr. again. As Jenny focused her attention on her talisman, it began to flash all rainbow colors. Jenny's arm began to tremble as she could feel its power coursing through her body.

"Des legrate...muri tempi...et intervalia!!"

Hallie continued to watch Jenny, realizing what she was doing. "Uh-oh. Everybody, hold on!"

With a full swing of her arm, Jenny hurled the talisman into the air. It flew through the air for a while, then suddenly stopped, spinning in place. The talisman emitted another bright flash, opening up a gray and black vortex of sorts. Instantly, everyone could feel the fierce winds being sucked into the vortex

"Oh, damn!" Yamcha exclaimed as he flew down towards the courtyard, hiding behind one of the trees.

The other Rebels followed suit, grabbing onto anything they could find to avoid being sucked into the vortex. Vinegar, Mustard, and Salt all screamed as they were instantly pulled into the vortex, disappearing within the eye. Garlic Jr., however, held his ground, resisting the suction power.

"Damn, it's not working!" Jenny exclaimed.

"What're you gonna do now, huh?" Pico snarled.

"Everybody, open fire!" Jenny fired short, concentrated energy blasts at Garlic Jr., striking various points of his body. The other Rebels fired short bursts of their own. Garlic Jr. swatted away most of the blasts with his arms, but even the ones that struck him had no effect.

"Let's try altogether on three!" Jenny called to the others.

The Rebels aimed their palms at Garlic Jr., waiting for the signal.

"I have an idea..." Pico pulled out his handgun and took aim.

"Ready?" Jenny called. "One...two...three!"

The Rebels fired their concentrated bursts at once, striking Garlic Jr. squarely in the chest. The general staggered backwards, but still resisted the suction of the vortex.

Pico then fired a shot from his handgun as Garlic Jr. staggered. The bullet tore through his ankle, and Garlic Jr. screamed in pain. He grabbed onto his ankle, now unknowingly being sucked into the vortex.

"Yeah, nice shot, Pico!" Fulgore called.

Pico blew the smoke from the barrel. "I can still make good use of my bullets in this age."

Garlic Jr.'s last scream of agony echoed into the air as he disappeared into the eye of the vortex. The chaos continued as the wind, leaves, and everything not secured to the ground was sucked into the vortex.

"Okay, Jenny, you can stop this thing now!" Yamcha called.

"Actually...I can't stop it!" Jenny confessed.

"You _what!?_"

"Just hang on!"

"Oh shit..."

"Don't worry, it'll stop after a while!" Hallie called.

The Rebels continued to hold on, struggling to avoid the vortex suction. Eventually, they could feel the winds gradually getting softer, and the vortex slowly began to shrink. Finally, the vortex disappeared completely, and the talisman dropped lightly to the ground.

Now that the winds were calm, the Rebels stepped out of their hiding places with a relieved sigh. "Whew..."

Jenny walked calmly across the courtyard, picking up the talisman. Then, grasping it with both hands, she broke it in half like a slice of stale bread. She then turned to face her comrades as they assembled behind her. "Did everyone make it?"

The Rebels looked around, checking if everyone was accounted for.

"Yeah, it looks like we're all still here," Fulgore said.

"That was so cool!" Hallie said. "We sent Garlic Jr. straight to hell, didn't we?"

Jenny gave an exhausted sigh. "Just don't ask me to do it again. Now, let's go back."

The Rebels nodded in agreement. They they pressed on their rings, teleporting away.


	5. Epilogue

Epilogue

Jenny sat on the bridge of their ship, in front of the main computer terminal in the center of the room. She held the two halves of the talisman on each hand, looking down at them, no particular emotions crossing her face. The other Rebels were standing or sitting around in the room also, resting themselves after the battle.

"So where did you get that thing?" Yamcha asked.

"Hmm..." Jenny examined it even closer as she thought about the question. "I've had it for so long...I don't remember where I got it from. It's just one of the many magical artifacts that I keep under my bed."

"Under your bed? What else do you have under there?"

"Well, I have the Book of the Dead, another sorcery book, the Eye of Odin, the Lights of Orion..."

"Whoa, whoa! All of that stuff, and you never use any of it?"

"I don't need those things. I just keep them to make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands."

"I see."

"Hmph!" Vegeta scoffed. "We all know that you're completely useless without those artifacts."

Grumbling, the Rebels rolled their eyes and turned away from him.

Jenny sighed. "We all know that's not true, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't speak for the rest of us."

"Yeah, some of us may hold a different opinion," Fulgore said.

"More like all of us," Pico said flatly.

"Shut up, turtle," Vegeta growled before addressing Jenny again. "One thing for certain is that you're just a crying little girl. Just look at you, sitting around, waiting for someone to kill you. And everyone else here will die as well if they stay with you. I, on the other hand, have a goal to reach. I will not die before reaching that goal."

Jenny shrugged. "Well, maybe you're right. I wouldn't want to take away your reason for living, so feel free to leave if you don't want to die. Just don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Fulgore and Yamcha snickered on the sidelines.

Vegeta ignored them and went on. "No, I have a reason to stay as well. My goal is to become the greatest warrior in the entire universe! And when I achieve my dream, I want you all to see it! You all will learn what a true warrior really is!"

"That's a little farfetched, isn't it?" Yamcha asked. "The greatest warrior...in the _entire _universe? My only dream was to become a samurai...but now..."

"Mark my words!" Vegeta boasted. "When I achieve my goal, I'll take over as the leader of this wretched lot. I'll have you all polishing my boots and calling me Lord Vegeta!"

As he laughed boastfully, Jenny stood up and marched right up to him. Then, grabbing him by the front of his suit, she lifted him into the air.

"Listen, you little twerp!" she growled. "There's no way I'm going to submit to scum like you! So don't screw with me!"

With that, she effortlessly threw him to the side. Vegeta crashed into the wall and dropped to the floor. With an exasperated sigh, Jenny turned and stormed out of the bridge.

Fulgore and Yamcha snickered again.

"Damn that woman..." Vegeta picked himself up. "I will defeat her, I swear."

"Hey, Vegeta," Fulgore called. "Don't _screw _with her."

"Yes, please don't spoil...all this fun," Yamcha added.

"If I were you, I'd stop talking and start training," Pico said. "If you want to become the universe's greatest warrior, you have a _long _way to go. On the other hand, it's pointless, because you'll never get there."

Pico cocked his shotgun and left the bridge.

--------------

Jenny walked silently down the corridor of the ship. When she got to her room, she found her little sister Hallie sitting on her bed.

"Hallie!" Jenny gasped, startled. "What are you doing in my room?"

Hallie looked around. "I'm...sitting here."

"But why?"

"Well, maybe I can talk to you or something."

"Oh, okay..." Jenny sat on the edge of the bed. "Hallie...what are you planning to do?"

"Me? I've always dreamed of being a singer and dancer," Hallie replied.

"Really? I wonder how possible that is these days?"

Hallie looked away. "I know, you don't have to say it. Black Shadow's taken over the entire universe, so we can't possibly live in it."

"And yet you're surprisingly upbeat," Jenny pointed out.

"Well, I'm alive. If I wasn't alive, I'd be...well...dead."

"You are aware that we're going to die, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But ya gotta live while you can, right? Besides, I still have to find my prince."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Oh, you and your prince fantasies..."

"Hey, I'll find my prince, you know why? Because I am a cute and sweet princess who's fierce and fabulous! And I can kick butt, too!"

Jenny burst out laughing.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Hallie asked. "I know I can kick butt! You've seen me!"

"I know how strong you are. But the whole 'princess' thing is just...silly."

"Oh come on, sis, just live a little! A girl can dream! Don't you have any dreams?"

"Why?"

"Because my caretaker once said, 'If you don't have any dreams, you don't have a reason to live'."

"Ouch...that one really hit home."

"Huh?"

"I've never had a dream," Jenny confessed. "So I've never had a reason to live."

"Seriously?" Hallie asked, surprised. "Damn..."

"If I did have a dream...I would only want to be with Dad again. And the only way that can happen..."

"Is to die?" Hallie let out a sigh.

"Hallie...I need to sleep now..."

"Oh...okay. Goodnight, sis." Hallie stood up and left the room quietly.

------------------

_Dear Diary,_

_I'll stick with this salutation until I can think of one more appropriate. Anyway, the Rebels have defeated the first general, so congrats to them. It was a rather mild battle, which was good, since the Rebels were still getting their exercise after being frozen for 3000 years. But this is only a taste of what's in store for them. There are many generals more horrible than Garlic Jr. Right now, I suppose the Rebels are just happy to be free. But as they experience more horrors, the darkness within their hearts will gradually take over. The end result is inevitable, but I can't let it happen too soon. So I will continue to watch over them._

_Poor Garlic Jr., though. If only he hadn't confessed to being immortal, the Rebels would have fought themselves to death trying to kill him. It always kills me when the villain makes the stupid move that leads to their downfall. Oh well, it's good for the Rebels that he made that mistake. I'm sure the other generals won't be like that, though. _

_These are the words of Canis Lupus._


End file.
